1607

First permanent English colony in American founded at Jamestown, Virginia

1618

Land tenure in Virginia based on head-right system, by which 50 acres of land granted to each person who paid either his own or someone else's transportation from England to America.  Larger tracts could be purchased also from the Virginia Company.  All tracts located indiscriminately, without system of land survey.

1620

First English colony founded in New England, at Plymouth, Massachusetts

1624

First Dutch colony founded in New Netherlands, at New York.

1630

Land grants to immigrants in New England  made by General Courts.  Settlers granted tracts of 10 to 100 acres.  English officials voted themselves tracts of 1,000 to 9,000 acres

1634

English colony founded in Maryland.  Land tenure similar to head-right system of the Virginia Company

1636

Settlers in New York granted land tracts up to 100 acres each.  Extensive tracts awarded for importation of as many as 50 families of Dutch immigrants

1662

Connecticut issued corporate charter. All land grants deter mined by New England Council.

1663

Rhode  Island issued corporate charter.  All land grants deter mined by New England Council.

1664

After creation of New Jersey, land tenure established  according to the head-right system of the Virginia Company.  After the English assumed control of New York,  land tenure was established similar to head-right system of Virginia.

1670

English colony founded in Carolinas, at Charleston.  Land allotted similar to head-right system of Virginia,  with each colonist granted 20 to 80 acres. Much larger tracts  sold to affluent buyers. All tracts located indiscriminately, without system of land survey

1676

Sale of lands first introduced in New Jersey.

1681

Pennsylvania founded as colony of England, by William  Penn, adopted the head-right system of land allotment,  with each colonist granted 50 acres of farmland

1683

Sale of lands first introduced in Maryland

1687

Sale of lands introduced in North Carolina.

1694

Sale of lands introduced in South Carolina.

1701

Sale of lands introduced in Virginia.

1713

First regular use of rectangular system of surveys in  New England.  Townships 6 miles square, surveyed  beyond settler frontier for future expansion.

1715

First State land grants to veterans of colonial wars in  New England.

1732

Georgia founded as English colony. Granted 50 acre farm to each colonist and 500 acres of land to settler with  family of six or more.

1763

England acquired right to all lands east of  Mississippi   River as result of the Seven Years' War, which cancelled all claims of individual colonies. Pioneers  prohibited from entering region west of Alleghenies.

1764

Settlers moved into Vermont and New  Hampshire, and later Maine.

1770

First colonists from Virginia and North  Carolina begin the illegal settlement of eastern Tennessee and Kentucky.

1774

First local land offices open western Virginia for direct sale of tracts to setters in that region.

1775

Virginia promised land bounties of 100 acres for enlistment in the Continental Army.

1776

First act of Continental Congress pertaining to disposition of public lands. Act of August 14th offered deserters from British Army (both English and Hessians) fifty acres of Public lands plus citizenship. Act of September 16th promised land bounties for military and naval services during the Revolutionary War. Land  warrants, subsequently issued to veterans, were confined to a "military district" of  2,560,000 acres of public land  in the Northwest Territory

1777

Continental Congress urged all States to seize and dispose of land owned by Loyalists and adherents to English  King. All States had followed this advice by 1782, and were in the real estate business.

1780

New York, ceded all western land claims to new government. Virginia surrendered vast region north of Ohio River in 1781. Massachusetts ceded all western claims in 1784. Connecticut followed in 1786.  South Carolina in 1787, North Carolina in 1790 Georgia. in 1802.  All of these areas. collectively, constituted the public domain.

1785

Land Ordinance established rectangular system of cadastral surveys of public lands in Northwest Territories  north Ohio River. Ordinance of May 20th reserved the Virginia  Military Land District which could be used for location of military  bounty lands.

1786

First Government survey of public lands began in eastern  part of the Northwest territory.  Using rectangular system, region under survey included the "Seven Ranges"  north of the Ohio River.

1800

Act of May 10th authorized first Federal system of district land offices for transfer of surveyed public lands in Ohio Territory.

1801

Act of March 3 instituted first of many laws on preemption or preference right of pioneers. Preemption favored  squatters, and discriminated against land speculators and  investors.

1802

Cumberland Road authorized for construction between  Potomac and Ohio Rivers. Completed in 1818.

1807

Government first recognized and so confirmed to claimants, land titles originally granted or issued under foreign  governments of Spain, France, Mexico and other countries.

1812

Act of April 25th established the General Land Office,  Washington, D.C. as bureau of the Treasury Department.

1812

Act of May 6th established. system of warrants or land bounties for military service during War of 1812 by veterans, or heirs. Military land warrants could be located upon any of the pubic lands were   within a military district.  Three new military districts.; each about two million acres,  reserved in Illinois, Arkansas and Missouri. Military warrants and land grants administered by the General Land Office.

1814

After War of 1812 settlers began major migration west ward to occupy public lands in the Mississippi Valley.

1842

Military land war rents could be located on on any vacant, unreserved public lands subject to sale.

1845

Texas became a State, but retained title to all unoccupied  lands.  Thus Texas, was not a public-land State.

1848

Mexico ceded a  vast territory  in the Southwest,  providing the United States   with an additional 338  million acres of public  lands to include the present States of California,  Nevada , Utah, Arizona and portions of New Mexico, Colorado  and Wyoming.

1850

Oregon Donation Act granted as much as 320 acres  each single male, or 640 acres to husband and wife, on condition of settlement for 4 years in undeveloped parts of Oregon. Act later extended to include Washington. Act expired by limitation in 1855.

1850

Act of September 28th authorized land bounties of 160  acres to any veteran of Indian Wars, War of 1812, or the Mexican War.

1862

Act of 20 May, the Homestead Act, authorized unrestricted settlement on public lands to all settlers, requiring only residence, cultivation and some improvement of a tract of 160 acres.  Any person was eligible who was head of a family or had reached the age of 21, who was  a citizen  or intended to become one, and who did not own as much as 160 acres. After living on the land and farming it for six months he could buy the homestead for $l.25 per acre. Act of July 1st, 1862 granted lands for railroads and telegraph systems. Act of July, 2nd, 1862; the Morrill or Land Grant Act  authorized grants of public lands to help establish and support State Vocational Schools.